Airbag Sensor Reliability via Pressure Waveform Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing physiological information measurement systems cannot accurately distinguish between changes in patient conditions and sensor deterioration or failure, leading to inaccurate patient monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes multiple sensors connected to an air bag, which measures pressure changes and determines sensor deterioration or failure by analyzing differences in pressure waveforms obtained from these sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single pressure sensor is used to measure patient physiological information, then the device complexity is low and ease of operation is high, but the reliability is insufficient because sensor deterioration or failure cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sensing function into multiple independent pressure sensors (first pressure sensor and second pressure sensor) that separately measure pressure changes. This segmentation allows individual sensor monitoring and failure detection, improving reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control unit continuously compares pressure change amounts from multiple sensors against predetermined thresholds. When sensor deterioration or failure is detected through this feedback loop, the system generates notifications to medical workers, ensuring ongoing reliability monitoring without requiring complex manual inspection procedures
2Reliability
If multiple sensors are used to detect sensor deterioration, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensing system into multiple independent pressure sensors, each capable of being individually monitored. This allows the system to detect sensor deterioration by comparing readings across segmented sensor units, improving reliability while keeping each sensor unit simple and the overall configuration manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by automatically comparing pressure change amounts from multiple sensors and identifying sensor deterioration or failure without requiring external intervention. The control unit autonomously determines sensor status and notifies medical workers, reducing the need for complex manual monitoring procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate determination of whether changes in measured pressure waveforms are due to sensor issues or patient condition changes, thereby improving patient monitoring accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
an air bag is spread under a mattress laid on a bed, a pressure applied to the air bag from a patient who lies on his/her back or lying his/her side is detected by a pressure sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A physiological information measurement system includes: an obtaining unit configured to obtain, from a plurality of sensors that are connected to an air bag containing air and measure pressures received by the air bag from a subject, signals related to the measured pressures; and a determination unit configured to determine at least one of deterioration and failure of at least one of the sensors based on the signals related to the pressures obtained from the plurality of sensors.